The present disclosure relates generally to signal communication, and in particular to a system and method for providing two-wire power and serial communication.
In aircraft systems, many avionics systems utilize computers that are located within the fuselage of the aircraft. These computers may interface with active sensors or remote data concentrators (RDCs) located either internal or external to the fuselage. Two wire serial communication is often used and additional wiring is used for power, resulting in at least four wires. The aircraft power needs to be conditioned, which often requires a switched mode power supply. The extra wires, especially over long spans, add undesirable weight and also introduce extra conductors susceptible to electromagnetic interference, lightning strikes, and faults, such as hot shorts. It is desirable to reduce the number of conductors that must be run between system computers and the systems with which they interface, such as RDCs and active sensors.